Cepheus Engine Ruleset- Feedback BUG reports thread

[bayne7400]

Ok I found the issue with Maritime defense. Can you send me the cascade skills that are different between Moon Toad and the SRD?

I am hesitant to hard code anything in. It is not looking good as far as getting a publisher to develop their content in FG but I am holding out hope. I have had CE deluxe and Hostile super interested but after speaking with DTRPG/Roll20 they would lose too much money with their exclusive agreement if we sell on FG.

If I can get a publisher onboard then there will be lots of changes to make it fully compatible with their version.

[kronovan]

...Can you send me the cascade skills that are different between Moon Toad and the SRD?

Moon Toad Publishing's version of the SRD (fully titled Cepheus Engine, Science Fiction Roleplaying Game, Core Rules), has an identical skill list to Samardan Press' System Reference Document PDF. The only skills MTP added is in their Vehicle Design Guide, in which they added a Ground Vehicle (Hover) and Ground Vehicle (Walker) skill. In keeping with how Vehicle skills are in your FGU ruleset, those should probably be created as Walker Vehicle and Hover Vehicle.

I'm sure you're aware that the System Reference Document is based upon Mongoose Publishing's Traveller 1st Edition Core Rulebook via an Open Gaming Licence. Samardan Press made changes to some skills, as MgT1E used a cascading Drive skill instead of Vehicle. Mongoose Publishing later added Drive (hovercraft), Drive (walker) and Flyer (airship) skills in their 1st Edition Vehicle Handbook. It's interesting, that in Mongoose's 2nd Edition Traveller Core Rulebook, Hovercraft, Mole, Track, Walker and Wheel are all specialties for the Drive skill. It might just be me, but IMO you don't have a fully Science Fiction supporting set of rules unless there's support for stomping around in Mechs/Walkers.

I am hesitant to hard code anything in. It is not looking good as far as getting a publisher to develop their content in FG but I am holding out hope. I have had CE deluxe and Hostile super interested but after speaking with DTRPG/Roll20 they would lose too much money with their exclusive agreement if we sell on FG.

If I can get a publisher onboard then there will be lots of changes to make it fully compatible with their version.

Of all the publications that claim to be based upon the Open License Agreement, Stellagama Press' Cepheus Deluxe departs from it the most. That flavor of the rules ditches the SRD's task resolution system in favor of a difficulty ladder like the one in MgT2E. But IMO they sort of added confusion, by using a ladder with difficuly steps/rungs that don't align with the SRD(MgT1E) or MgT2E; its steps are "Easy", "Average", "Difficult", "Formidable" and "Impossible". It also has an equivalent of MgT2E's boon rolls of rolling 3xd6 and choosing the highest 2 results, which Deluxe calls rolling with Advantage. The other big difference are skills, for which they removed many (Battle Dress, Bribery, Broker, Comms, Electronics, Gambling, Gravitics, Linguistics, Mechanics and Navigation are all gone) and added the skills Deception, Repair and Investigation and renamed Vehicle back to the MgT1E Driving. They also made the various cascading skills speciaties their own seperate skills. The biggest difference is that they made significant changes to the career system for building PCs, but Stellagama created a free to download, alternate publication that gives referees and players the option of using the career build system in the SRD. I do really like Cepheus Deluxes' writing, presentation and organization, but IMO it's not an edition of the Cepheus Engine rules based upon the SRD - really its own thing.

For me, Moon Toad Publishing publications more closely align with MgT1E and thus the SRD. But more importanly, for me they're just a bit better written and ogranized than Samardan Press' publications.

[Edit] BTW, I used Damned's Universal Module extension to load Jon Bazer Enterprises' d66 Compendium for the MgT2E ruleset. As you migh expect its tables worked perfectly with your CE ruleset. Some of the tables included in that DLC are Traveller verse specific, but most are universal and usable in a variety of SciFi settings.

[bayne7400]

Yeah so I think what I am hearing is I don't need to make any changes for the MT core book.

[kronovan]

Yeah so I think what I am hearing is I don't need to make any changes for the MT core book.

Probably, although I've never owned the Hostile Rules PDF, so I can't comment on how closely it aligns with the SRD. I recall browsing the Hostile Setting preview at DTRPG and remember it stating you can also use the Samardan Press or Moon Toad Publishings CE rules publications for it. That leads me to assume/believe that it's close to the SRD too

I'm familiar with the publisher (Zozer), owning a number of their publications, all of which I've found to be quality stuff. I really appreciate that they've produced some setting content for the near future. Their Orbital 2100 setting for MgT1E and CE is the publication that 1st got me interested in CE.

[kronovan]

...I have had CE deluxe and Hostile super interested but after speaking with DTRPG/Roll20 they would lose too much money with their exclusive agreement if we sell on FG...

Out of curiosity; where is the Roll20 content/DLC for either of those publishers? I've done extensive searching on the Roll20 marketplace and I can't find anyting for searches of "Cepheus Engine", "Cepheus Deluxe", "Hostile", or just even "Cepheus". Do they have some agreement with Roll20 to produce content sometime in the future?

[Edit] Nevermind. I figured out that you're referring to the DTRPG OneBookShelf-Roll20 integration, which allows GMs to display their OneBookShelf purchased PDFs within Roll20 sessions. So are you telling me that Roll20 as a VTT has exclusive rights to any publication that's sold on DTRPG as a PDF? If that's the case, that's the most generous exclusivity agreement in the gaming biz I've heard of.

[bayne7400]

Yeah per what they told the publishers they consider FG mods e books . I emailed SW and asked them if they would engage One Book shelf on it but I'm not sure they are.

[bayne7400]

Small update. Npcs now have an inventory and tech level is available for all item records.

[kronovan]

Small update. Npcs now have an inventory and tech level is available for all item records.

Nice!

Something I've noticed in my PC building, is that the PCs dont' seem to be getting the trade skill associated with their world type. The selection of available skills displays at the beginning, but the choice I make doesn't end up on the final character sheet.

[bayne7400]

I will double check that Kronovan.

SRD update. VegasErik is working with Pharoid to get get it published. it an enormous amount of work to make all the records. That being said todays update is to support that.

The component section under vehicle records now has a count field. This way a standard record ("Escape Pods/3" ) can be added and then the number of fitting adjusted on the fly. This is fully automated and adjusted prices and tonnage.

For Powers I added the field for an Effect Multiplier. With a med kit the heal amount equals effect x 2 as an example. Once you add a record you right click to pull up the "SWORD" icon and add a heal, damage or an effect (just like with other FG rulesets.

Finally to make a smallcraft use "smallcraft" as the type not ship or starship or vehicle

[bayne7400]

Nice!

Something I've noticed in my PC building, is that the PCs dont' seem to be getting the trade skill associated with their world type. The selection of available skills displays at the beginning, but the choice I make doesn't end up on the final character sheet.

This is working for me. When you make your roll all your home world skills populate along with the standard education that all PCs get. I used "Garden" as a trade world and selected farming. The skill populated.

So I cannot reproduce. As with all bug reports please provide specific steps you took and I can look at it.